How do you say “Keep a straight face” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is Aguantar la risa, which literally means “To hold back the laughter”. English speakers use keep a straight face to mean to avoid laughing or smiling when something is funny. A natural conversational equivalent when someone is trying not to laugh. It focuses on suppressing laughter rather than the exact facial expression. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
Aguantar la risa
/aɡwanˈtaɾ la ˈrisa/
- Literal meaning
- “To hold back the laughter”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
93 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
English describes the face staying unchanged. Spanish focuses on holding the laughter back.
Both suit funny situations. If keeping an entirely serious expression matters, “mantener la cara seria” is more exact.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in Spanish?
Mantener la cara seria
Literally: “To keep the serious face”
Closer to the visible expression; useful while telling a joke.
No reírse
Literally: “To not laugh”
A plain option that does not necessarily imply effort.
Common translation traps
Mantener una cara recta
“Recta” describes straightness, not the serious expression meant here.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in Spanish.
In context
English
I couldn’t keep a straight face when he put on the hat.
Spanish
No pude aguantar la risa cuando se puso el sombrero.
English
How did you keep a straight face during that speech?
Spanish
¿Cómo aguantaste la risa durante ese discurso?
Related expressions
- What “Keep a straight face” means in English
- Pull someone's leg, To tease someone playfully.
- Play devil's advocate, Argue the opposite view to test an idea.
Last updated 2026-09-13